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The Oil Gauge of National Security

Most discussions on the national security consequences of our dependence on petroleum cover ground that is well-trodden. A 2006 Council on Foreign Relations study concluded that "the lack of sustained attention to energy issues is undercutting U.S. foreign policy and national security." Conservatively stated, dependence has hindered our policy options abroad, and more squarely, oil is a catalyst for post-9/11 terrorism. With few exceptions, the U.S. military is powered, fueled, and transported by the very resource we are expected to safeguard. To be a prescient leader in national security, the Department of Defense must also occupy the high ground of energy security.

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